A Place to Stay
by freedomatthesea
Summary: Emma offers Hook a place to stay after giving up his quarters to Henry.


_Emma offers Hook a place to stay after giving up his quarters to Henry._ - requested by jackdonaghy

She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes something jarred her awake. Whether the knowledge that they were hundreds of feet above the ocean, flying among the clouds or the fact that they had _really_ done it and saved Henry, she didn't know.

Emma tugged her coat on, heading out onto the deck, her hands tucked into her pockets. "You're still up." She commented as she spotted Hook still at the helm.

"As are you." Hook retorted with a cocky grin, making his way down the stairs away from the helm. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I think it had something to do with the fact that we're..." She gestured around them, laughing as clouds covered the deck momentarily as the moved through another cluster. "_Miles_ above the ocean."

"Afraid of heights are you, Swan?" Hook questioned, flashing her a cocky grin that she smiled at despite her hardest attempt not to.

"I'm not, actually." She retorted, raising her brows for emphasis as she looked back out over the night sky that stretched as far as she could see. "Thank you. For everything." Emma said quietly, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"You're welcome, love."

Emma rocked from her heels to the balls of her feet, exhaling heavily. "The entire trip was eye opening." She stated, crossing her arms across her chest. "You surprised me."

"I hope I _pleasantly_ surprised you." He chuckled, though it was clear to her that he wanted to know _how_ - _why_.

"It was." She turned her head, smiling at him - something that was becoming easier and easier for her. "I couldn't have done all of this without you."

"Ah, you could've. You can do whatever you put your mind to, lass." Hook assured her, his hand coming up to brush across her back, before he pulled away.

"No. I couldn't have." Emma protested, shaking her head. "Because no one was doing _that_. No one was assuring me like that. Sure, my parents were trying, but it always feels like they're just softening the blow not actually helping."

"I'm glad that I could have been of service to you then." Hook set to picking at the tip of his hook, not looking towards her again. She couldn't read him like this, not without seeing those eyes of his - the ones she tried so hard not to notice.

Emma chewed on her bottom lip, letting the silence linger between them until she _had_ to say what was on her mind. "Where are you staying tonight? You gave your quarters to Henry and..."

"Are you offering?" Hook chuckled, a smirk playing across his features, his eyes lighting up as he turned his head to meet hers. "Your cabin's quite small, love."

"There's enough room for you to put a blanket down on the floor." Emma pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek, trying not to smile at the excitement that flashed in his gaze.

"On the floor... Right." Hook chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I'll stay up here continue sailing us through the night."

"Do you have to be out here for us to sail?"

Hook shook his head, "Magical ship. I'm just here out of habit."

"Suit yourself." Emma said with a smirk, stepping around the pirate, her hand brushing over his chest as she did. "The offer stands." She didn't look back as she headed back below deck, knowing he'd follow.

And he did. No more than five minutes later there came the soft sound of his hook knocking against her cabin door. Emma pulled the door open with a smirk on her lips, "I knew you'd come."

"Am I that predictable?" Hook questioned teasingly, stepping inside. "I do need rest after all, this-" He gestured to his face, "Doesn't happen with lack of sleep."

Emma rolled her eyes, smiling to herself as she pushed the door shut. "I don't really need as much covers as there are on the bed, I'm happy to share them."

"Well, I should _hope_ so. You did offer the floor to me and, love, it's terribly hard otherwise." He said, clearly trying to keep this as casual as possible.

She knew that she was tense, but it wasn't because she didn't want him there, it was because she _did_ want him there and she wasn't quite sure how to process that fact. She _wanted_ him around.

"Here you go." Emma said as she tossed one of the blankets at him, followed by the extra pillow. She laughed at his expression, "You're welcome to sit on the bed until you want to sleep."

"So utterly proper aren't we, Swan?

"You _are_ a gentleman after all." Emma retorted sassily, her hands going to her hips. "We're not home yet."

"I know." Hook rolled his eyes, spreading the blanket across the floor, dropping the pillow down at one end. "I do promise to behave." He commented as he moved to perch on the very edge of the bed.

"You better buddy." Emma said with very little conviction, moving to sit down beside him, leaving a hand's width of room between them. Silence fell between them, the comfortable sort that they had shared in this room on the way to Neverland. The first time she realized just how easy it was to be near him. She didn't have to overthink the situation. It just was.

Emma scooted back on the bed, letting her back rest against the wall. She sighed heavily, nudging Hook's leg with her foot, "You don't have to sit on the edge of the bed."

He tilted his head, his brow arched upwards curiously, "_Oh_?" He moved to join her, rolling his shoulders as he leaned back against the wall. "So does that mean I don't have to sleep on the floor?"

"No." Emma laughed, shaking her head. "That just means you can sit _here_ right now." She licked her lips, realizing quickly that _that_ was a bad decision. His gaze dropped to her lips, her own going to his, before she looked away, staring across the room. "Why did you do all of this? Come here, help my father, help _me_?"

"Why do you think?" Hook asked and she could feel his eyes on her face. "You heard what I said at the Echo Caves."

"I know, I did." Emma inhaled shakily, her brows creasing together. "That place was a whirl of emotion. In a span of ten minutes I found out how you feel about me, that my parents more or less want to replace me, and... I had to admit how I feel about Neal."

"How _do_ you feel about Neal?" Hook asked, faster than he should have.

Emma bit down on her bottom lip, rubbing her hands together. "I told him that I wished the whole thing was a lie. I wished that he _was_ dead, so I could... move on."

"Can you move on? He's alive and... I'm sure Henry wants his father."

Emma reached over and grabbed his hand, releasing it quickly. "I can. Because what _was_ there, isn't there anymore. Too much has happened and I'm ready to move on. Henry can have his father, I want him to be part of _his_ life, but not mine. Not like that."

Hook squeezed her hand tightly. "Do what's best for you, love. I know that he and I have been behaving quiet foolishly, but... the decision is yours."

"I already made my decision." Emma said softly as she leaned to press a kiss to his cheek. "I choose you." She moved to rest against him, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Then I'll make certain that the _fun_ begins when we get you...when _we_ get home." Killian curled his arm around her shoulders, his fingers stroking over her arm. "You're far too tired for fun."

"It's been a long week." Emma mumbled, her eyes flickering shut. She felt safe in his arms. Safer than she'd felt in a _very_ long time. Maybe all she needed to get some rest tonight was to share her quarters with the Captain. His warmth was exactly what she'd been longing for all those years that she was cold and alone.


End file.
